President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans for Ghana to hold a national referendum on proposed constitutional amendments alongside the 2027 District Assembly Elections.
According to the President, voters will be required to vote not only for Assembly Members but also on proposed amendments to the Constitution, particularly those affecting entrenched provisions.
President Mahama made the announcement during the Resetting Ghana Tour Citizens’ Engagement in Bolgatanga as part of his two-day tour of the Upper East Region.
“We therefore want to add the referendum to the District Assembly elections next year. Next year, apart from voting for your Assembly Members, you will also be required to vote on the constitutional amendments,” he said.
He explained that the government would first determine which proposed amendments require parliamentary approval and which require a referendum.
“If the referendum is successful, we will implement the amendments to the entrenched clauses. That is what we are doing with regard to governance,” he added.
The President said he would soon inaugurate the Constitutional Review Implementation Committee, which would be tasked with reviewing the government’s position paper alongside the reports of the Constitutional Review Commission.
He said the committee would synthesise the two documents and categorise the proposed amendments into entrenched and non-entrenched clauses.
“For non-entrenched clauses, we only need Parliamentary approval. We will put them before Parliament, and Members will vote and pass them,” President Mahama explained.
He noted that amendments to entrenched provisions require a referendum, adding that the Constitution requires at least 40 percent of registered voters to participate and at least 75 percent of those who vote to support the proposals for them to be approved.
President Mahama said the government therefore intends to hold the referendum concurrently with the 2027 District Assembly Elections.
Meanwhile, President Mahama has directed the Minister of Roads and Highways to ensure the construction of a road requested by the Paramount Chief of the Kologo Traditional Area, Naba Clifford Abagna Tandegrewongrekugre Asobayire V.
The directive followed a request by the Paramount Chief during the citizens’ engagement for improved road infrastructure in the area.
President Mahama also tasked the Minister of Education with ensuring the establishment of a Senior High School in the Kologo Traditional Area.